Railroad News

This year's dip in U.S. rail traffic continued in Week 15, with railroads posting 528,167 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week in 2018, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

U.S. railroads did post a 1 percent increase in carload volume for a total 260,800 units during the week ending April 13. However, U.S. intermodal volume fell 3.2 percent to 267,367 containers and trailers during the period versus a year ago.

New Jersey Transit will restore service on the Atlantic City Rail Line (ACRL) and Princeton Branch on May 12, two weeks ahead of the agency’s target date. 

While the ACRL service was suspended, NJ Transit completed the Federal Railroad Administration’s interim positive train control (PTC) requirements and now has until the end of 2020 to implement a fully functioning PTC system, according to a NJ Transit press release.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) rail car fleet is nearly exceeding its useful life and is due for replacement, according to LTK Engineering.

Under contract with GCRTA, LTK Engineering conducted a preliminary rail-car replacement study to determine the estimated life remaining in the GCRTA light- and heavy-rail fleet, according to a GCTA press release.

CN has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with The Lion Electric Co. for the concept, design and manufacturing of electric trucks as part of the Class I's strategy to reduce emissions.

Terms of the MOU were not disclosed.

Union Pacific Corp. today announced a 6 percent increase in net income during the first-quarter, despite dealing with severe flooding and a 2 percent decline in business volumes.

The Class I posted Q1 2019 net income of $1.4 billion, or $1.93 per diluted share, compared with $1.3 billion, or $1.68 per diluted share, in the same period a year ago, according to a UP press release.

The Georgia Port Authority has selected RailComm LLC to provide a yard management system for the Port of Savannah's multimodal connector. The system will allow for remote control of 83 powered rail switches and 38 powered derail devices, according to a RailComm press release. Switches can be thrown by a yardmaster or work crews from either a centralized office location or from a remote touchscreen kiosk. The yard control system will also allow crews to queue a set of routes as needed to assemble and disassemble trains on the appropriate tracks.

Koppers Inc. has named Travis Gross vice president of North American railroad products and services. Gross will oversee sales, operations, procurement and profit and loss management, according to a Koppers press release. Gross joined Koppers in 2007, and served as VP of commercial sales since 2016.  

Trinity Railway Express (TRE) this week began operating TRE Link, a new bus connection to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. 

The buses, which are painted similar to the commuter-rail train, will replace existing shuttles that connect the TRE CentrePort Station in Forth Worth, Texas, to the airport. 

The GO Transit commuter-rail service today expanded express train service on the Lakeshore East line in the greater Toronto area. 

The expansion will serve riders in the Ontario communities of Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering. 

The Canadian government will provide CA$16.5 million through the Rail Safety Improvement Program to support 136 new rail-safety improvement projects and initiatives, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced yesterday.

The projects and initiatives are designed to increase safety at grade crossings and along rail lines, and prevent serious incidents through education and awareness, according to a Transport Canada press release.

Sound Transit this month will begin pre-construction work on the 8.5 mile Lynnwood Link extension, which will extend light-rail service from the Northgate Link station in Seattle to the Lynnwood Transit Center in Lynnwood, Washington. 

The work includes removal and replacement of 77 percent of the existing trees located in the right of way, removal of sound walls and utility relocation, according to a Sound Transit press release.

Kansas City Southern today reported record first-quarter revenue of $675 million, up 6 percent from the prior year on a 1 percent decline in volume.

KCS attributed an overall decline in carload volumes primarily to service interruptions at Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico that were caused by teacher protests, company officials said in a press release.

CSX yesterday posted record results for the first quarter, including an operating ratio (OR) that fell below 60 percent.

Net income during the quarter soared 20 percent to $834 million, or $1.02 per share, versus $695 million, or 78 cents per share a year ago.

The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) yesterday began construction on a two-way grade separated underpass at the Covert Avenue crossing in Long Island, New York.

MTA is rebuilding the crossing at Covert Avenue as an underpass with a sidewalk on the east side, according to an MTA press release.

Metra Police yesterday launched a mobile application to enable riders on the Chicago commuter-rail service to discretely report crimes and suspicious activity from a train or station. 

The Metra COPS app allows riders to send a description along with a photo or video of the issue being reported. The app automatically disables the user’s smartphone flash to ensure discretion, and reports can be made anonymously, according to a Metra press release.

Next month, Amtrak will expand Acela Express weekend service between Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.

An additional round trip will be added on Saturdays, starting May 4. Train 2252 will depart Washington, D.C., mid-morning and Train 2255 will depart Boston in the early afternoon, filling gaps in the current schedule. Regular, scheduled service on the weekends will continue.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board has named Sam Ruda port director. Ruda has served as interim port director for the past five months. 

Ruda succeeded Molly Campbell, who left the authority in late 2018 to accept a fellowship at Harvard University. 

A railroad safety bill introduced earlier this month in Ohio's House of Representatives includes a provision that requires trains be operated by at least two crew members.

House Bill 186 includes the two-person crew provision, as well measures addressing blocked public grade crossings, rail-yard lighting and rail-yard walking conditions.